


led by your beating heart

by goldennhour



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Dragon Age Quest: In Your Heart Shall Burn, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, could be seen as inquisitor/cullen towards the end, yes i know it's been done to death but fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 14:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14717564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldennhour/pseuds/goldennhour
Summary: A narration of the inquisitor's thoughts and feelings as she makes her way across the mountains during 'In Your Heart Shall Burn', based on a series of prompts.





	led by your beating heart

**Author's Note:**

> yes i know that there are about 50 million angsty fics about in your heart shall burn but indulge me i love it okay? also this is my first time writing for the dragon age seris so i hope i haven't screwed it up smh.

**_the shock of ice to exposed skin._ **

She yells at her companions to move, not daring to take her eyes off the dragon flying straight towards her, even as she stumbles backwards. Its mouth opens, a hungry cavern, and she finally tears her eyes away as it roars with rage. She hears rather than sees the fire erupt, scorching a trail of flames into the ground so close that she’s stopped the wave of heat. Before she can ever look up to see if everyone else is safe, two explosions to her left blast her off her feet, sending her tumbling into the snow with a thud. Blinking away tears of pain, she gaps for stolen breaths as the icy ground seeps into her already sweat soaked amour.  

**_sting from a fresh cut._ **

Her cry pierces the air as Corypheus hurls her into the broken trebuchet and pain erupts across her back. A slash on her cheek burns, while the wind tears at her face as she struggles to stand. An arrow, a burning beacon of hope, forges a trail into the sky. The soft orange glow against the dark sky fills her with resigned determination; they are safe. Her hands grip the sword tightly, even as her split knuckles throb. Suddenly the boulder is smashing into the mountain and she’s already running, willing herself not to look back, even as his dragon’s screech fills her with dread. Cullen’s voice echoes in her head, _find a way_ , and the snow is almost upon her as she runs and jumps and falls into darkness-

**_dirt in the palms of your hands._ **

This time she screams as she pulls herself into a sitting position, every part of her body wracked with pain. Frost clings to her clothes, accumulated in the considerable hours that had passed before she’d woken up in the frigid cavern. Her frozen eyelashes pry themselves apart as she spends what feels like years taking stock of all her unrelenting aches. Dragging herself up by her hands, the soil and grit worms its way into her nails and the crevices of her palms. She takes a deep breath, the cold air pushing its icy hands down her throat. Making a fist, she feels the particles of dirt digging into her flesh. It grounds her.

**_cold air burning in your lungs._ **

Hands raised weakly against the howling blizzard do little to protect her now. Every step she takes feels like the weight of the world is pushing back against her. No strength left to raise her feet above the crushing snow, she drags herself forward, one step at a time. Glancing behind her, she sees nothing but the darkness of the sky finally giving way to the soft colours of dawn. Tall mountains loom above her, stretching endlessly into the void. The air pierces her very lungs with every step she takes and it’s all she can do just to keep breathing. She doesn’t know if she can keep going, but she has no other choice.

**_the warmth of campfire._ **

The embers of a dying fire give her equal part hope and despair; it’s a pitiful respite from the cold but she has to keep moving. Yet even the spark of hope that flares in her chest can do nothing to stop her legs from shaking at every stumble forward. A single solitary figure amidst the screaming winds, how can she possibly hope to survive. She longs to see her friends again, hopes that when – if – she finds them, she finds them all alive and together. She thinks of _him_ , and the last words they had exchanged, the stolen glances before she left to buy them time. The shadows of night hold nothing but fears and, alone in these godforsaken mountains, she has never felt so scared.

**_arms wrapped around you when hope seemed far away._ **

She has almost given up but then she sees it – the glimmer of lights in the distance, so faint she isn’t sure if they’re real or a desperate hallucination. But then she stumbles to her knees and all she can think about is what little energy she has seeping out of her. Bowing her head, she wraps her trembling arms around herself, wondering if this is the end. But she blinks and suddenly she is surrounded by voices and lights, all jumbling into one another. Someone wraps a thick fur around her – and it feels so familiar – whispering her name. It cuts through the haze and she looks up, tears in her eyes and whispers his name like a prayer. As he pulls her into his arms, she lets herself finally close her eyes, breathing in his scent. She knows she is safe.


End file.
